A coalition of investors headed up by the Church of England Pensions Board and the Swedish AP Funds today launched a global database of mine waste storage facilities - known as tailings dams - marking tomorrow’s anniversary of the Brumadinho dam disaster that killed 272 Brazilians last year. 

The investors have also called on governments and companies to join them in setting up a global alert system, and set out expectations for mining companies and principles for how investors finance the mining sector.

The database, available here, contains information on a total of 1,939 dams. Figures for the number of tailings dams globally are unknown, though investors have said the number could be as high at 60,000.

The tool allows users to see informati…